Page 17 - Excerpts from the diary

“Can you recommend anyone to me?”

“No, I cannot.”

“That’s a pity. We need riflemen.”

Later they called again.

“Shchetinin. Do you know me? Have you heard of me?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Well, we need a correspondent. I have learned that you could do the work, and I would like to take you onto the editorial staff. Do you
agree?”

“Yes, but I need to be among people and study people. I agree to be your correspondent while remaining here.”
“And if I recall you completely to the newspaper?”

“I cannot do that. I want to remain closer to people.”

“Yes, but in my opinion you already know them well enough; you have studied people thoroughly. So if you agree, I will arrange it with
the higher authorities.”

“I do not object.”

I went to Sokolov and began telling him about it when the telephone rang for the third time. I answered.

“Subotin, chief of counterintelligence. The boxes. How are the crew’s instruments disappearing and why?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well then, we will divide 1,986 rubles among the four of you and collect it from you!”

I went back to Sokolov. Suddenly the telephone again...

“With your belongings, report to Gomel! But before you go there, answer the telephone.”

I began trying to find out who was calling. It turned out that this entire comedy had been staged by Savostin. Afterwards he rejoiced and
laughed at how cleverly he had fooled me. The weather was bad too: I would have had to go out and knead through the mud.

In the evening Second Lieutenant Kolmagortsev, the battalion Komsomol organizer, a cheerful fellow and great trophy-hunter, was killed.
He had gone after the body of Senior Lieutenant Petrov, who had many trophies: a German gold watch and three other watches, chains,
two revolvers, and other things. Four men went to retrieve the body, but a mine suddenly exploded. Two of them were so frightened they
ran all the way into another battalion. Kolmagortsev and another soldier were killed by the explosion. Later the sappers discovered that
the Germans had mined Petrov’s corpse, and it is still lying there, uncleared. The mines are to be removed tonight.

Kipnis, the former battalion Komsomol organizer, has been killed too. He was Jewish and, while still a Red Army private, had managed
to become the battalion Komsomol organizer. But as soon as a lieutenant was sent here, Kipnis was moved down to company Komsomol
organizer and squad leader. He was killed by a mine and machine-gun fire.

The lieutenant who is now Komsomol organizer told me all this.

At night they issued felt boots. The soldiers received none. I got one boot size 39 and the other size 42.

14.01.1944
I wrote a letter to Aunt Anya with a poem for the newspaper Replenishment, and to the editorial office of the Red Army newspaper
Combat Comrade I sent the poem “Battles Thunder.” During the night and today I wrote two poems. One is for Sokolov—about love and
the front.

It is night now. We have been ordered to get ready and to have the platoon fully prepared for combat. So I packed my things and my
diary, which, incidentally, is coming to an end. I will enter the poems there.

The stove is burning in the dugout. I am heating it with crosspieces from mine boxes; there is nothing else. There were three pieces; the
fourth is burning now.

The Germans are firing constantly. Today our aircraft were active. Once again one of our planes dropped small bombs on our territory.

Bullets whistle above the dugout.